Does anyone have experience with this?? I picked up ds from school and his teacher wanted me to have it checked out. It was just a tiny rash on his chin this morning when I took him to school. I didn't even think anything of it. When I picked him up, it was all around his mouth and nose. I knew there was one case in his class last month, but turns out there have been 4 cases. Ds has just missed so much school lately that we didn't get the notices. I swear, can the poor kid get anything else....reflux problems, the flu and now this, all in 1 month!!! Urg...We have a doctor's appt. in an hour, but I am almost 100% sure he has it. So, how contagious is it?? Are we all going to end up with it??? YUCK.

By Vicki on Friday, February 25, 2005 - 12:58 pm:

I have no idea, but boy that spread fast!! Is it bothersome at all for him?? I hope you can get some cream or something for it and it clears right up!

By Sunny on Friday, February 25, 2005 - 01:05 pm:

I had impetigo as a child and it isn't fun. It is very contagious and is easily spread by scratching a sore and then scratching another area of the body. If it is impetigo, be careful about not sharing towels, especially if the sores burst open, and wash his bedding and clothes separately until he's been on antibiotics for at least a day. He can spread it to the other members of the family.

I hope he starts feeling better soon. My guess he should be able to go back to school on Monday if he starts treatment today. Good luck!

By Dawnk777 on Friday, February 25, 2005 - 02:30 pm:

Impetigo has crusty spots on the face. At least the older lesions are crusty. I would have taken my kids to the doctor, too. My kids have never gotten impetigo, but once, Emily had a little cellulitis on her right cheek. I took her in for that. Turned out she also had strep throat. She had never complained of a sore throat. The cellulitis was spreading fast, even for a little while after we got the antibiotics, but I could almost pinpoint the moment that the antibiotics were winning the battle, about 48 hours later. We had to follow-up with the MD twice, to make sure the cellulitis was getting better.

By Kay on Friday, February 25, 2005 - 08:26 pm:

My youngest dd had impetigo when she was in preschool. The pediatrician gave us an antibiotic ointment to keep putting on it.

By Annie2 on Friday, February 25, 2005 - 10:34 pm:

My youngest had it a few years back from scratching mosquito bites. We were actually on vacation in the Catskills at the time. The doctors were far and few between. We finally found one which recognized it for what it was and started him on the antibiotic cream. It cleared up very fast.
I agree that hand washing is a must and anything which touches the skin must be washed also.

By Debbie on Saturday, February 26, 2005 - 09:47 am:

Well, he doesn't have impetigo. But, I spent 1-1/2 hours at the doctor yesterday to bascially be told she doesn't know what it is. She "thinks" it could be eczema brought on by the flu. My other ds has eczema and it doesn't look like this. So, I don't know. Also, it has spread some more. I have never seen this doctor before and I didn't like her at all. I love the other 3 doctors in the practice, but the one we saw yesterday was horrible. I will not see her again. I guess if it continues to spread, I will have to take him to his regular ped. on Monday. I am just putting cortizone cream on it for now and waiting to see what happens.

By Rayanne on Wednesday, March 2, 2005 - 01:00 pm:

How is your son doing?

By Amecmom on Wednesday, March 2, 2005 - 01:23 pm:

I've never had any luck with my son's ped. for rashes and skin issues. I just take him to the dermatologist. Much more helpful. Hope he's better.
Ame

By Debbie on Wednesday, March 2, 2005 - 02:13 pm:

Thank you for asking about him. He is doing much better. The rash was so inflamed on Sunday that I felt so bad for him. I went online and found out myself that it was "steroid acne" it is from his flovent inhaler. He uses a chamber and a mask with it. We are suppose to rinse his mouth and wipe his face after using it. Well, dh admitted that he forgot a few times last week to wipe his face. I took him back to his regular ped. on Monday and she confirmed it. The reason it got so bad on Friday and the weekend is because cortizone cream irritates it. Dh told me that he put cortizone on it when he got him dressed for school on Friday. Then I continued to use it after my doctor visit on Friday. It will take about 7-10 days to go away, but it looks so much better today. The good thing from all this is that his ped. took him off the flovent inhaler, so he is no longer using a steroid.

I was just so frustrated after my doctor visit on Friday because I didn't think the doctor really evaluated ds and listened to me. She was so busy talking about how different my two ds's look. She just kept going on and on about it which upset me and my 7 yr. old ds. I found out on Monday that she is new to the practice. Needless to say I told my reg. ped. how unhappy I was with her.

By Rayanne on Wednesday, March 2, 2005 - 03:24 pm:

I am glad that he is doing better and that you found out what it was.